This invention relates generally to contact arrangements, and more particularly, to a contact arrangement for a tubular lamp which is arranged in a housing and is provided with spherical or cylindrical contact members at both ends thereof.
Krypton lamps of the type used in laser technology are generally constructed with spherical or cylindrical contact members at each end. In known contact arrangements, the contact device is usually formed of resilient contact elements which enclose the contact members of the lamp. In such known arrangements, the spherical or cylindrical contact members of the lamps must be formed with accurately defined dimensions, thereby presenting difficulties when lamps of other types or manufactured by others are desired to be used. In addition, the known arrangement presents the further problem of requiring a considerable force to either insert or remove a lamp. The application of such a force increases the risk of breaking the lamp. The breakage of a lamp of the type used in a laser technology presents a danger to a person performing the removal or replacement operation in view of the pressurization present therewithin.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a contacting arrangement of the type which electrically couples to spherical or cylindrical contact members of lamps, wherein contact members of various dimensions can be accommodated in the contacting arrangement.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a contacting arrangement wherein lamps which are electrically coupled thereto can be removed and replaced without the application of undue mechanical stress to the lamp.